Four Cylinder 4Runner questions .(newbie )

[pfbmgd]

Hello people !

I`m a new member to the forum and I`m thinking of buying a 4runner . I would like your know the following information .


What years was the 4runner made with a 4 cylinder ?

How reliable is the 4 cylinder model ?

Any inherent problems with the 4runner with a 4 cylinder ?

How much better is the 2.4L vs 2.7L ?

Whay should I look for when looking at a used 4runner ?

I`m looking for a 4 cylinder becaus I`m looking for a true 4x4 to commute . I travel 30k to 35k a year so gas mileage is very important .

Any other comments are welcome .

[Seadee456]

I think the last year of 4 cylinder was 1999.

I have a 98 4Runner V6, I don't think the 4-bangers were that popular, and when I bought mine, I test drove the 4's and they were slowwwww. Heck, I even think my V6 is slow. If I were you, I would put serious consideration into getting a 6.

4Runners usually have no problems and are very reliable but you should get it checked out by a mechanic.

I love my 4Runner but I'm going to trade it in for a new one sometime soon.

[brink]

FWIW, what I've heard is they can be kind of a pain to work on. So if you do your own mech work you might want to check out the clearances and crap you have to get out of the way to do stuff. They're pretty compact.

As far as reliability, we've got an older one at work (4cyl) that's got about 160k miles (~257k km) on the dial and still going strong. Had to replace the clutch recently, but that's mostly from the crappy driving habits of the guy who used to drive it all the time.

Sorry, I can't answer many of your questions, just givin' what I know.

[Darren]

What years was the 4runner made with a 4 cylinder ?
1984-1999

How reliable is the 4 cylinder model ?
It's a Toyota

Any inherent problems with the 4runner with a 4 cylinder ?
Not sure. Head gasket perhaps on the 2.4's?

How much better is the 2.4L vs 2.7L ?
I think you got crossed up here. The 2.4's were 1995 and prior, while the 2.7's were 1996-1999. Substantially more power with the 2.7. In fact, the 2.7 4-cylinder provided more power than the 3.0 V6. I would say the 2.7L is better for this reason alone, if nothing else.

What should I look for when looking at a used 4runner ?
Based on the above, what year(s) are you looking at? You're all over the map.

I`m looking for a 4 cylinder becaus I`m looking for a true 4x4 to commute.
What the heck is that suppose to mean? Right, only 4-cylinders are real 4x4's. Only they have transfer cases made of metal. Ever heard of people doing 3.4 or V8 swaps?

I travel 30k to 35k a year so gas mileage is very important .
I don't know what the old junk gets. The new junk probably gets 19/22 MPG.

Any other comments are welcome .
What's it going to be, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Generation 4Runner?

[pfbmgd]

Originally posted by Darren
What years was the 4runner made with a 4 cylinder ?
1984-1999

How reliable is the 4 cylinder model ?
It's a Toyota

Any inherent problems with the 4runner with a 4 cylinder ?
Not sure. Head gasket perhaps on the 2.4's?

How much better is the 2.4L vs 2.7L ?
I think you got crossed up here. The 2.4's were 1995 and prior, while the 2.7's were 1996-1999. Substantially more power with the 2.7. In fact, the 2.7 4-cylinder provided more power than the 3.0 V6. I would say the 2.7L is better for this reason alone, if nothing else.

What should I look for when looking at a used 4runner ?
Based on the above, what year(s) are you looking at? You're all over the map.

I`m looking for a 4 cylinder becaus I`m looking for a true 4x4 to commute.
What the heck is that suppose to mean? Right, only 4-cylinders are real 4x4's. Only they have transfer cases made of metal. Ever heard of people doing 3.4 or V8 swaps?

I travel 30k to 35k a year so gas mileage is very important .
I don't know what the old junk gets. The new junk probably gets 19/22 MPG.

Any other comments are welcome .
What's it going to be, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Generation 4Runner?

I`m looking for a newer SUV 1996 or newer .But unforntunantly they are hard to find in 4 cylinder .What I mean by 4x4 is that it has low range rather than some newer SUV have alll wheel drive(no low range) . The four has enough power for me since I don`t tow .